Zenmed acne skincare reviews

If you’ve picked up a magazine lately, either from your own personal library or just while you were waiting in the doctor’s office, you have probably seen an ad for Zenmed in magazines like Vogue, Allure, Elle, and Marie Claire. If you’re suffering from rosacea, acne, or eczema, you might have even perked up a little and earmarked the name of the product in the back of your head.

These skin conditions go above and beyond the typical “nuisance” problems like pimples or dark marks, these conditions hurt and can severely hinder your life. They also cost you a lot of money and time, as you invest in products that don’t work or worse, products that make your symptoms even worse.

Zenmed might not be a name you recognize, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a second look! We’ll break down why you should check it out and believe me I had some preconceived ideas about it.

Zenmed brand overview

“Creating Products with Conscience”

Mandy Shahi launched Zenmed in 2000 after combining her love of homeopathy and alternative healthcare into one stellar product: Derma Cleanse Cleanser. But she didn’t stop there, she continued working with a natural skincare formulator in California and she developed a skincare line that was completely natural and specialized in “tough” skin problems. Her goal? Clinical-strength products without any of the chemicals that can actually do more damage than good.

Thanks in part to a tireless work ethic and the natural movement, Shahi and her Derma Cleanse Cleanser gained a following. By 2003, a line of over 29 products was born, including cleansers, masks, serums, moisturizers, and even supplements. The team grew as well, including the addition of a pharmacologist so that they could pay close attention to the medicinal activities of their products.

Ingredients

Thanks to the persistence of Shahi and her team, Zenmed products are all natural based, certified organic, or something that is called “bioidentical.” Bioidentical means that the ingredients in the project are similar to those that your body produces.

Most of the ingredients come from vegetables or plants.

And the good thing is all the formulations are cruelty free.

So what does this mean for you?

Zenmed has made a name for themselves by using the right combinations of natural ingredients that produce results that get people talking. Results that you may not find in chemical-based products.

In a nutshell, Zenmed has combined the tough action of those chemical actives, but has done it naturally.

Zenmed is specially formulated to work on acne, rosacea, eczema, and other serious skin products. Let’s focus on their acne skin care line.

Products and Claims

If there is one specific point that makes zenmed stand out is probably their decision not to include benzoyle peroxide, unlike their competition: proactiv plus and exposed skin care.

Why?

They do not use benzoyl peroxide in any of their products because, they simply chose a more natural way of combating against acne.

They consider Benzoyl peroxide draws out the natural oils from your skin. It kinda convinces your body that it is not producing enough oil, so your body in turn, starts to work overtime to produce extra oil. The bad thing is over time the body will build up a resistance to the benzoyl peroxide and it will not work.

In a nutshell, using benzoyl peroxyde can totally mess up your skin and get your acne worse as eventually benzoyl peroxide will stop working.

This could totally explain the downsides some of our fellow reviewers got with proactiv and exposed, who started having dryness issues that could stem from the oils being drawn out and as times passes by, benzoyl peroxide being less “effective”, the dryness issue would stop.

So, Zenmed focused on using natural actives to handle acne less agressively to get better results in the long run.

Let’s see what products zenmed proposes.

Step 1: Facial Cleansing Gel: Made from Certified Organic aloe vera gel, this cleanser will remove daily oil, make up and toxins from the surface of your skin without stripping it of the natural oils that keep you hydrated. This is typically the first step for any of the Zenmed products.

Step 2: AHA/BHA Complex: Perfect for day-to-day maintenance, this product promotes cell turnover and clean skin without build up. After using the cleanser, this product clears your dead skin away, leaving you with a smooth surface for any of the other products. Use a cotton ball or pad to apply and avoid any mucus membranes of your eyes or nose. Zenmed recommends trying the product for seven days and then stopping for seven days and seeing what a difference it makes.

You can then follow Up with or combine Any of the Following:

Oil Free Day Lotion: Apply this product over bare skin that has been cleansed or other treatments (particularly serums) to moisturize the skin. This oil-free product has Vitamins B5 and E to make your skin look nourished. It can be used daily or simply as needed on wet skin.

Derma Cleanse Acne Mask and Spot Treatment: it helps to calm the fallout of a large acne breakout and helps to ease that tight feeling. Removes unwanted greasiness without dehydrating or burning your skin. To apply, spread a thin layer over entire face or problem areas and let sit for 2-5 minutes.

For a more thorough treatment, you can even use it overnight. It also works well as a spot treatment for pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, and clogged pores. Great for overnight treatments before big events. Follow up with the Oil Free Day Lotion.

Derma Cleanse Acne Gel: Spot treatment for any pimples, whiteheads, or blocked pores. It stops the inflammation that leads to scarring and prevents additional breakouts… Apply a thin layer to areas affected before bed.

Refining Scrub: Gently buffs off trouble skin, cleaning away oil and other impurities with fruit acids. When used twice a week, you will see an improvement in your skin’s texture and pore size. It is great for those prone to oily skin. Use once or twice a week, depending on your desired results.

Derma cleanse capsules: a herbal formulation which will supplement your diet by promoting detoxification and elimination.

Ok let’s dive in with our awesome zenmed reviews.

Our detailed zenmed reviews of the acne treatment kit

We tested these products for 4 weeks as was the case with proactiv plus and exposed.

This is a cleanser that is packed with herbal actives. It has aloe vera and cucumber to soothe and hydrate the skin. I like the fact they did not use harsh surfactants (the elements that kinda bind to the dirt to remove them). Instead, they used mild surfactants Disodium C 14-16 Olefin Sulfonate (Source: Coconut), Cocamidopropylbetaine (Source: Coconut). Disodium Oleamido Sulfsuccinate (Source: Coconut), PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate

Of course as claimed, they are paraben-free. Zenmed actually used Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin as preservatives. They are really safe alternatives.

So this is a nice formulation to begin with and which is absolutely consistent with the natural path Zenmed claims to follow.

First impressions

First, I really liked this cleansing gel; this light amber-colored gel felt very gentle on my skin. Sometimes, you have cleansers that are very gentle but that don’t clean anything; this one really does the job without any dryness afterwards thanks to the aloe vera gel, which is one of my favorite ingredient.

(If you have any sunburn, aloe vera gel is a must have to soothe and hydrate), so with this gel cleanser, my face felt fresh, cleaned and ready for the following treatment.

I also do appreciate the fact they did not use any synthetic fagrance, which is usually so overpowering that it kinda makes you nauseous.

Here, the herbal scent is really nice and light, so I know I won’t have to force myself to use it twice a day.

In fact, this cleanser can also be used by anyone with sensitive skin. My boyfriend who has sensitive skin (he won’t admit it, men will be men…) also used it several times and he did not get any redness, he even found that shaving was easier and not as irritant afterwards.

The only thing that was a bit annoying was the packaging. I like to use pumps, as it is more convenient for me. Here, you have that simple bottle with a plastic dispensing cap. Yeah I am picky.

AHA/BHA Complex

Ingredients

This is a very simple toner, which focuses on 2 things: hydrate and exfoliate. I really like the fact they used witch hazel, which is great for acne. They could have used glycerine instead of propylene glycol (humectant), which would have been better and more effective in my opinion because propylene glycol can have a slight drying effect but I guess for oily skins that could be seen as a positive side effect. But the real asset of this toner is that special salicylic and glycolic blend which not only helps to treat acne, but over time helps with exfoliation and minimizing the appearance of post-acne scars.

First impressions

This is a very lightweight toner to use after washing my face with the facial cleansing gel. Once my skin is fully cleansed and dry, I apply some AHA/BHA complex product to a simple cotton pad and then apply it to my face. It absorbs very quickly and is pretty refreshing. The other thing is it felt very gentle, though it is packed with alpha and beta hydroxy acids. So here again, when zenmed claims it can be used by sensitive skins, I think it would indeed be a good fit.

Sophie asked me to do their test “ Try for 7 days, then stop for 7 “, well I am curious so I did use it for 7 days (twice a day) and stopped for 7 days.

I have to admit that without the toner complex, my skin did not look as great; it looked duller…. I also had some witch hazel toner, so I tried it for 2 days, to use it as a replacement, it also did not work as great. I think it had to do with the glycolic acid and the salicylic acid that truly boost cell turn over, which gently “exfoliates” the skin and get rid of the naughty bumps and flakes

So I certainly can see why zenmed says this product is becoming one of their best selling products.

Yet, they could probably improve the scent, it is too herbal for me. The good thing is the scent doesn’t last long; after a few minutes, it is gone.

So I guess it won’t be too much of a problem. But still zenmed team, if your stumble upon this review and if you ever improve the product later, if you could tone it down a little, that would be awesome.

My boyfriend makes fun of me, because he told me the scent is due to the high dosage of actives, which makes it more effective…. So yeah he is right, but still, I want effectiveness and better scent, so what?

I like it when the list of ingredients is not 2 meters long; it means the formulator focused on the core actives and ingredients. Here, we have a water based lightweight lotion that is perfect for oily skin. They used a gentle emulsifier (glyceryl stearate) and a co -emulsifier cetearyl alcohol. Don’t be mistaken, there is no alcohol in this product, cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol that has nothing to do with alcohol of your favorite wine. It is a waxy /fatty ingredient that helps to give some consistency to skin creams and lotions.

I also like the addition of vitamins, especially vitamin B5, also called panthenol. It is a natural humectant, which helps to hydrate skin, but it also has anti-inflammatory properties that make it very interesting for acne treatments.

It has no petrochemicals or any synthetic dyes. Instead of using any parabens, the formulators used the same 2 much safer preservatives as for the cleanser.

My only complaint would be that they could have used a bit more aloe vera gel, to give this lotion a more soothing action, but that would also mean the price would have to increase….

Anyway, this is a very nice formulation, which looks perfectly suited to oily skins with good moisturizing actives.

First impressions

Ok guys, time to use it for real. This moisturizer is probably one of the best lotions I have ever tried.

Why? I have oily skin and I usually find my face quite shiny at the end of the day. With this oil free day lotion, my face is moisturized but is still ok for a date with my boyfriend after a long day of work; it means no oily evening face. So after the first day of use, my impression is pretty positive, I really like the fact this lotion is pretty lightweight. So, it is a perfect fit for oily skins, and it also means that it won’t clog our pores.

And this time, I have no issues with the scent 🙂

So, this lotion is lightweight, pretty natural, it doesn’t have any pore clogging ingredients and it does a good job. We will see how it goes in the long run (I mean after this 4 week test lol – check below)

We find here the same herbal blend as what we had in the cleanser gel. The 2 main components of this acne mask are kaolin and montmorillonite, which are basically clays that will help to detox your skin by drawing out impurities and oils. We also find here our beloved Vitamin B5 (panthenol) as with the oil free lotion.

You won’t find any parabens here either. Instead you will find 2 widely used preservatives in natural formulations.

I also like the fact they still included some witch hazel water here that will help with acne: witch hazel helps to tighten the pores and has anti-inflammatory properties.

First impressions

Zenmed recommends using it twice a week. This is a clay-based mask to absorb excess oil and to dry out the pimples or blemishes on your face. I used it the very first day I got the products from Sophie and Chris (myawesomebeauty.com editors) and the 5th day.

Well, I have to say, I like it a lot, I am a big fan of masks, and so I was super excited to try it.

I have several acne breakouts, pimples on my chin and cheeks and with the mask, the next day, I noticed that some of them were smaller and less red… after the 5thday, they were almost not noticeable, they were still there of course but I felt after one week or 2, they would be completely gone. So yeah I really liked the mask from the very first use.

Yet, to be fair, I also started to cut back on junk food so I guess that helped too. Yep, gotta do what you need to do to deserve great skin.

My piece of advice: apply a thin layer of the mask product, it is more than enough. Otherwise, you will need to wait longer and you will basically waste some product. So really apply a thin layer, wait for 5-8 minutes to dry (if you apply a thick layer, it will take much longer to dry…) then rinse off completely, apply the AHA/BHA complex and then the lotion.

You can also keep it overnight, I did not do it as I tend to move a lot during my sleep so my pillow would have been a big mess in the morning.

It can also be applied as a spot treatment to acne pimples, whiteheads and clogged pores, to speed up the healing time, which makes this product pretty useful 😉

Derma Cleanse ® Acne Gel

(I don’t like this name because it can be confusing, it is not a cleansing gel, derma cleanse is simply the trademark name of the acne system)

Ingredients

This product formulation is absolutely consistent with the great formulation guidelines zenmed followed from the very first product of this acne skincare line. I won’t spend too much time here, as it is basically the same principles here.

We have here a product that is also natural oriented: a simple natural gel base with a high concentration of actives. The main actives are salicylic acid, glycolic acid (sodium glycolate). We also find here our witch hazel and our vitamin B5.

There is a new active though: spirea Ulmaria Meadowsweet Extract, which is known to reduce the activity of the sebaceous glands so it helps to limit the amount of sebum secretion and helps to fight acne caused by bacterial proliferation.

As for the preservatives, they used a very mild one (Chlorhexidine Gluconate) but also Methylisothiazolinone which I don’t like, because it is known to cause some allergic reactions to some very sensitive people. I am not allergic to it, but for this specific product, to be on the safe side, I would recommend you to skin test it on your arm for 24 hours to make sure you are not allergic to it. I know a friend who is so I guess I am a bit more wary of it. Allergy to it is quite rare but still on the rise so I wanted to point that out.

First impressions

This is a transparent gel that helps get rid of surface bacteria and prevent excessive build up of dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. This is a real spot treatment that is easy to apply. It felt a bit strong though, as I felt as indicated on zenmed website, a slight tingling effect. That proves the dosage of salicylic acid is pretty high. While the mask focuses more on your oil face, this gel really speeds up the healing process.

I used it on 2 small red bumps; the next day, they were so tiny my boydfriend could not find them …

In fact, it is a great tool to keep in my bag. Everytime I feel a zit may appear, I apply a tiny dot of gel and the zit has no time to fully develop. They should call it the zit eraser 🙂

You can apply the gel on the red bumps, blemishes, and pimples right after the toner but make sure to wait about 2-3 minutes before applying the oil free lotion. (Remember a thin layer of acne gel is enough…don’t waste it)

My only complaint is that the first time I used it, the product was a bit watery, I had to shake it a little to get a real gel consistency. After that, the issue never came back. So you might need to shake it the first time to make sure, you have the right texture. Shake, shake, and shake 🙂

This scrub is infused with aloe vera gel and glycerin to perfectly keep skin hydrated. It is a very simple formulation that uses jojoba beads to mechanically exfoliate dead cells, while alpha hydroxy acids, glycolic acid and lactic acid help chemically to slough away dead skin cells. That is a perfect combination for an effective scrub.

I also like the addition of allantoin, which is known to be a soothing, anti-irritant, and skin protectant and which is said to promote wound healing

This scrub on the paper is pretty well formulated, no harmful additives, no harsh detegents and no parabens.

I really like the formulation of this product that I find very well thought to be effective and gentle at the same time with beads and fruit acids

First impressions

Well, nothing beats real experience. I can tell you this scrub is really effective to get rid of dead cells, and unclogging the pores. I really liked the jojoba beads that you can feel under your fingers when massaging your face to exfoliate the dead cells. They really chose the right size for a very gentle exfoliation.

The other great thing is the real refreshing effect it leaves on your skin with the peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils they have included.

From the first use, I was in love with this scrub.

In a nutshell, this scrub is a no nonsense formulation and straight to the point, it does the job with flying colors. Skin looks clean and fresh. The after feeling is so great it is even addictive. Yet, remember use it only once or twice a week. Not more. I know it is going to be tough no to do it everyday lol

Ingredients

They pretty much combined the most purifying and detoxifying plants in one capsule to litteraly cleanse and detox your body from the inside, and give you that healthy and great skin we want.

It is actually based on Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine principles, to promote the body’s natural elimination processes.

Actually, many experts somehow see acne as a physical response to your body intoxification, it is like a way for your body to indicate that it needs to detox and get rid of toxins. So these herbal supplements help to give that detox boost your body might need… but it also means you need to have a healthier diet 🙂

These capsules are also completely natural and 100% Vegetarian, which is a good point. They are also gluten-free and do not contain dairy, soy, gelatin or animal-by products.

First impressions

I was really impressed by the number of purifying plants they used in the capsules, so I really wanted to give them a try. Zenmed recommmends to start with 3-4 capsules per day and build up from that to 4-6 a day with 6 being the optimum dosage. I admit I started from the get go with the maximum dosage : 2 capsules in the morning with my breakfast, 2 at lunchtime and 2 with my dinner.

The first week I did not see anything except some size decrease of my pimples, then in the middle the second week, my skin started to break out a little. So I thought I was back to square one. In fact, I was told that it was a normal reaction as the capsules are really effective to detoxify the body, so that can lead to temporary breakouts.

The fact that I started with the highest dosage also did contribute to this sudden burst of breakouts.

So don’t follow my example and start with one capsule per meal and increase the dosage gradually. I wanted to speed up the process. I was simply too greedy.

I must admit I was going to stop the capsules, but I was asked to keep taking them as results can take 3-6 weeks to appear depending on the severity of your acne.

I am happy I did 🙂

My Results on acne after 4 weeks

To be honest, when I found out I was going to review and test zenmed acne skin treatment, I thought: oh, just my luck, what is this brand?

The other thing that bothered me was the fact they do not use benzoyl peroxide,but focused more on salicylic acid and herbal actives so I was thinking, ok this is going to be useless and a total waste of time. I even thought of telling myawesomebeauty.com team, “sorry, but I ‘d rather try something else…. “

Well, I am so happy I tested it because I love that acne treatment.

As I told you I understood why they chose not to use Benzoyl peroxide, which can totally mess up your skin leading to dryness and irritation.

I have always been struggling with acne bumps and pimples, but never dared to try any treatments as I was a bit afraid of those horror stories we can find on the Internet about products that are so aggressive and irritant for your skin that it makes your acne even worse.

You see I am such a weirdo, on the one hand I was disappointed because I was not going to test a more aggressive brand and on the other hand, I am scared of those aggressive treatments, which basically would ruin my skin.

So, after 4 weeks using zenmed acne kit with the capsules and the refining scrub, I can tell you I am trilled by this brand.

I know it sounds so counterintuitive but you can treat acne with a much safer and natural approach with well-formulated products that use alpha and beta hydroxy acids to gently “detox” you skin.

I really think when it comes to acne, the more aggressive the products, the more your skin will fight back, it is like working against your skin, whereas zenmed approach is more of a work alongside process.

After 4 weeks (4 weeks and 3 days to be exact), most my bumps are gone, my skin is so much smoother, I have much clearer complexion and I barely need any make up to hide those pesky red bumps. Even my boyfriend, who usually doesn’t notice anything, even he told me so. So yeah I will keep using the products for 4 – 6 more weeks and see the final results.

The gel cleanser and the oil free lotion can absolutely be used on a regular basis, and they are perfect for my oily skin…. they cleanse and mositurize perfectly without making my face oily, so I think after the 8 weeks of acne treatment, I will probably keep using most of the products.

One note though: if you have a very severe acne, I think zenmed would take a little longer to work so maybe in that specific case, exposed skincare would be a better fit, at least for the first 4 weeks before switching to something like zenmed. This is probably what I would do if I had very severe acne. Or simply go and see a dermatologist.

Other zenmed reviews for acne treatment

The reviews for Zenmed are consistently positive and uplifting, which is not very surprising in my opinion. Many people have found success in these products where they haven’t with other products (like proactiv). Here are some highlights from our favorite reviews:

“I use a combination of their acne and rosacea products. As a previous person said their customer service is great because I didn’t know how to combine the products for both conditions plus I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on both sets but they set me right and now my rosacea/redness is completely gone and my acne is a lot better.” – Scott S.

“It’s true how if your acne is bad it’s something going on the inside and no amount of topical acne cream will help.

I’ve been using physician’s formula acne cream and it wasn’t making things worse but it wasn’t helping much. I started using the capsules from DermaCleanse and it was what helped my zits finally.” – Gina

“I have had acne for 16 yrs. and finally took my family’s advice and got off all the chemical topicals and drugs and use a more natural approach. This is what I found and I could not be happier with how useful this is. I don’t have any drug reliance and know my body is clean.” – Simone

Is it expensive ?

When we compared the 10 brands we preselected, we thought this one would be the most expensive as they used more quality and natural oriented ingredients. In fact this acne treatment line is pretty cost effective, mind you, they don’t pay for flashy and expensive advertisment campaigns and mostly rely on word of mouth.

Zenmed proposes 2 kits: one for combination skin, and one for oily skin)

The average price is $78 for a kit of 4 products (no autoship option proposed, which is pretty surprising when most other brands do it. It seems the brand prefers people to voluntarily renew their products if necessary. I am not a big fan of autoshipment in general )

Cons

The scent for one product that I did not like but it is a matter of taste

Where to buy and get the best deal?

The best place to buy Zenmed products is definitely their website.

Why?

They offer great bundles that will save you a great deal of money. (Make sure to check their “specials” tab).

And you have a no hassle 60-day money back guarantee. So you can try the products risk free. After 4 weeks, you already can have a pretty good idea if the products suit your skin or not, so you don’t need to wait 60 days… Zenmed is a very reliable company, with great customer support. So you are covered.

Overall

Overall, Zenmed is a comprehensive line of products that deliver the results people are looking for. Of course, not every product can work for every person, but 15 years of reconstructive skincare with proven results speak for itself.

If you are looking for a natural and cruelty free brand, you should definitely give this one a look.

Zenmed is the real deal, and you will be amazed at how much better everything feels!

Ps: if you ever try the cleanse capsules, don’t be as greedy as me, and start low with the lowest dosage before buidling up from there. You gotta give some time to your body and skin to detox.

When you decide to give it a try, and use the 60 day money back guarantee, feel free to let us know your results.

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